Extreme heat is more than an environmental problem. It is a question of health, livelihoods, safety, and inequality.
Not everyone experiences rising temperatures in the same way. People who work outdoors, live in poorly ventilated homes, lack reliable electricity or clean water, or depend directly on natural resources can face much greater risks during periods of extreme heat.
Women and other vulnerable groups can experience additional pressures because of unequal access to resources, care responsibilities, livelihoods, and decision-making spaces.
Climate justice means recognising these differences and ensuring that communities most affected by climate change have a meaningful voice in the solutions. It means investing in resilient communities, protecting livelihoods, improving access to information, and ensuring that climate policies respond to the realities people face every day.
Heat affects everyone—but its consequences are not equally distributed.
A just climate response must therefore put people, dignity, and equality at the centre.